2 Best Sights in The Southern Coast, Maine

The cornerstone of this block-long preservation of early-19th-century commercial and residential buildings is William Lord's Brick Store. Built as a dry-goods store in 1825 in the Federal style, the building has an openwork balustrade across the roofline, granite lintels over the windows, and paired chimneys. Exhibits chronicle the Kennebunk area's history, art, and culture for kids and adults alike. In addition, museum staffers lead walking tours of Kennebunk's National Historic District (at noon on Thursday and Saturday from June through October) and of the town's beaches (at 11 on Saturday from July through September).

Nine historic 18th- and 19th-century buildings, clustered on York Street and along Lindsay Road and the York River, highlight York's rich history, which dates from the early colonial period. Start your visit at the museum's visitor center in the Remick Barn at the corner of U.S. 1A and Lindsay Road. The Old Gaol (established 1656) was once the King's Prison for the Province of Maine; step inside for a look inside its dungeons, cells, and jailer's quarters. The 1731 Elizabeth Perkins House reflects the Victorian style of its last occupants, the prominent Perkins family.